Law School Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity (2022)

A comprehensive review of law school enrollment by race and ethnicity in 2022, with a focus on Black student enrollment

Law school enrollment among students of color increased for the 3rd year in a row in 2022, according to the most recent data collected from the American Bar Association (ABA).

The data nevertheless shows that Black people, in particular, continue to be underrepresented in law school classrooms relative to their representation in the general population.

Let's take a closer look at the racial and ethnic composition of law schools in 2022, including the top 10 law schools based on minority enrollment. Let's also take a look at a recent ABA accreditation council vote concerning the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) that could have serious implications for minority law school applicants beginning in 2025.

Race and ethnicity classifications

The ABA requires each accredited law school to report enrollment data annually by completing a Standard 509 Disclosure. The Standard 509 Disclosure allows law schools to report the race and ethnicity of their students using seven distinct categories defined by the ABA:

• Hispanics of any race: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
• American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
• Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
• Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
• Two or more races: The category used to report a non-Hispanic person who selects two or more of the other racial categories.
• White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Minority representation in law schools

The total number of minorities enrolled in law school in the United States increased for the fifth year in a row in 2022, and the percentage of minorities enrolled in law school increased for the third year in a row.

Each of the seven racial and ethnic groups identified by the ABA increased in size in each of the last five years, with the exception of Black, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian, all of which have seen some fluctuation.

The racial and ethnic makeup of law students in ABA-accredited law schools comes close to reflecting the racial and ethnic makeup of the United States population as a whole. The first pie chart below shows the total percentage breakdown of ethnicities and races in the U.S. according to the most recent United States Census Bureau data. The second pie chart shows the total percentage breakdown of ethnicities and races in all ABA-accredited law schools.

As you can see from the pie charts, the most significant disparity between the general population and law students is among students identifying as Black (13.3 percent compared to 8.3 percent), followed by law students who identify as Hispanic (18.5 percent compared to 14.6 percent).

Law school rankings based on ethnic-racial minority enrollment

The ABA Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline and the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) have made efforts to increase the enrollment of traditionally underrepresented groups and people of color in colleges and law schools across the country.

In addition, many law schools have taken steps intended to increase enrollment of minorities, particularly Black students, in competitive law programs.

For example, in 2019, Syracuse University College of Law sought to double Black student enrollment in five years by entering into "3+3 admissions" agreements with three historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in Georgia. The 3+3 program allows students to finish a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six years rather than seven.

Since announcing the program in 2019, the number of Black law students enrolled at Syracuse University College of Law has gone from 49 (2019) to 46 (2020) to 56 (2021) to 51 (2022), underscoring the challenge of increasing Black enrollment.

Here is a look at the top 10 law schools with the highest percentage of students identifying with each race and ethnicity recognized by the ABA.

Here's a look at where students from historically underrepresented communities are not attending law school.

Note that the chart above doesn't include a list of schools with the lowest percentages of American Indian or Alaskan Native law students. This is because there were 59 ABA-accredited law schools in the U.S. that reported enrolling zero students who identified themselves in this group.

The chart also excludes schools with the lowest percentages of Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander law students because there were a total of 133 schools in the U.S. that reported enrolling zero students who identified themselves in this group.

The future of the Law School Admissions Test and its impact on minority enrollment

Some scholars have argued that the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) mirrors and maintains racial inequality while adding very little predictive value with respect to how students will perform in law school or as lawyers.

Others have argued that the LSAT enhances diversity by identifying students capable of succeeding in law school, even though their grades or other credentials might have otherwise kept them hidden from the view of admissions committees.

A similar debate has taken place around other standardized tests (such as SATs and GREs), which has led many undergraduate and graduate schools to stop considering these test scores as a factor in admissions decisions.

The ABA accreditation rules, however, have traditionally required law schools to use a "valid and reliable test" in admissions decisions. The LSAT has, for years, been the only standardized test that automatically met this criterion (in November 2021, the ABA added the GRE as an acceptable alternative). In other words, even if a law school wanted to waive the standardized test requirement, the school would be prohibited from doing so.

However, on November 18, 2022, the ABA's accreditation council voted to lift the mandatory testing requirement. The rule change will go before the ABA's House of Delegates, which will have a final vote in February. If the House of Delegates votes in favor of the change, law schools could begin making the LSAT optional in 2025.

We will continue to track the racial and ethnic composition of law schools to see how this rule change might impact minority enrollment.

To gain even more insight into law student demographics in the United States, check out the Enjuris report on Women in Law School.

About Enjuris^®

Enjuris.com is a collection of independent legal resources designed to help people with their biggest questions following an accident or injury. Through instructive articles written by experienced attorneys, printable forms, and a free legal directory, Enjuris provides injury victims with the information and tools they need to take the next step. In keeping with its mission, Enjuris.com also provides promising college and law school students with scholarships and other resources to help them one day become effective lawyers.

Data source: American Bar Association, ABA Required Disclosures (Standard 509 Reports). Any mistakes in data reported to the ABA are the responsibility of the reporting school. Enjuris assumes no responsibility for inaccuracies or for changes in such information that may occur after publication. The figures here are as reported on December 16, 2022. Schools may update their data at any time. Please see the ABA website for updated figures.